


Wedding Love

by The_Lonely_Geek



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, Romance, Swan-Mills Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-03 17:38:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17882243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lonely_Geek/pseuds/The_Lonely_Geek
Summary: When Regina goes shopping for a dress for Zelena's wedding, she never expected to find her life turned upside down by falling in love with the cute sales assistant, Emma Swan. She can't stop herself from carrying on going back to the shop, even 3 weeks after the wedding.





	1. Chapter 1

Regina sighed, walking into the store. This was the fifth store she’d been in today all to find the perfect dress for Zelena’s wedding. How hard could it be to find a dress? This was the last store she had time to go to because Henry finished school soon. Her annoyance was soon forgotten though as a cute blonde sales assistant shot her a smile and walked over to her.

“Can I help you?” She asked. Regina returned the smile and nodded.

“I’m looking for a dress,” She explains. “My sister’s getting married and I want the perfect dress.” The sales assistant, Emma Swan according to her name tag, nodded and led her over to a different section of the store.”

“We have a wide selection of dresses suitable for weddings, just over here,” She told Regina. It was technically the end of Emma’s shift, but when she saw Regina enter the store, she couldn’t resist going over to help her. She knew from previous experience that the hottest women were normally straight and already in a relationship, but she couldn’t help herself. “If you need any help, just come and find me.” Regina nodded and smiled.

“Thanks,” Then she began searching for a suitable dress. Every once in a while she would glance up at where Emma was standing. She just looked so cute. Emma tried to stop staring at Regina, she was at work it was completely inappropriate. She couldn’t help but think that Regina might also be staring at her though.

After about half an hour Regina walked over to her, holding two dresses. “I’d like to try these on please,” She told her. “I’m not sure where the fitting rooms are.” 

“This way,” Emma smiled, leading her to the other side of the store. 

“Would you mind giving me your opinion on them when I’ve tried them on?” Regina asked, slightly nervous, but she couldn’t resist letting the cute blonde see her in tight fitting dresses. “I’m awful at deciding between dresses.”

“I’m sure you’d look lovely if you turned up in a bin bag,” Emma told her, her heart beating slightly faster. “Not that I’m suggesting that you should turn up in a bin bag.” Regina laughed slightly.

“Zelena would kill me slowly and painfully if I turned up to her wedding in a bin bag,” She smiled. “It’s been hard enough persuading Henry to wear a suit.”

“Henry?” Emma asked, her heart sinking. The way she had spoken about him made it sound like she was talking about a son and Regina’s nod only confirmed her fears.

“Yeah,” She told her. “He’s eleven and wants to turn up in jeans and a hoody.” She laughed rolling her eyes, before seeing a slight flicker of annoyance in Emma’s gorgeously green eyes.

“Does he look like you?” She asked her, annoyed that she had wasted her time flirting with this woman when she could have been home having a shower by now. Regina shook her head.

“Henry’s adopted,” She explained. “I don’t have a partner and even if I did we wouldn’t be able to have kids.” She said breezily, going into a changing cubicle and closing the door behind her.

“Why not?” Emma asked; hope now rising in her once more.

“I’m lesbian,” Regina told her bluntly. “I was never gonna have my own kid but I really wanted one so I adopted Henry.” She waited a heartbeat but Emma didn’t reply, too stunned that she might actually have a chance with this woman. “I hope you don’t judge me because of that.”

“Oh no,” Emma said quickly, afraid she had upset Regina. “I’m lesbian too, it’s just…” She trailed off, remembering the things people had called her growing up in the system. “I’ve never had the courage to talk so openly about being gay like you just did.”

“Why not?” Regina asked, shimmying into the first dress. “If people don’t accept you for who you are that’s their issue, not yours.”

“My parents abandoned me when I was a baby, I grew up in the system and people weren’t very understanding. When I was thirteen I was adopted, but then my adoptive parents found out that I was gay and I was back in the system faster than you can say lesbian.”

“I’m so sorry,” Regina said sympathetically, unlocking the door to show Emma the dress. “What do you think?” Emma gasped. She was completely in awe at how beautiful this woman was. “What?” Regina asked, worried at the gasp. “Do I look hideous? I know I’m not that pretty, but I didn’t think I was that ugly.” She joked.

“You’re not ugly,” Emma told her quickly. “No, it’s just you look… stunning.”

“Thank you, Miss Swan,” Regina smiled, her eyes looking at the name tag on Emma’s chest. “I think this is the one, I’m not going to bother trying the other one on.”

“I can take it to the till for you once you’re changed out of it,” Emma told her.

_** An hour later ** _

“Did you get a dress for Aunty Ze’s wedding then?” Henry asked when they got back home from Regina picking him up from school.

“Yes,” Regina nodded, smiling at the memory of Emma Swan. She bought the dress out of the bag to show Henry and receipt fluttered out with it. “Hey Henry, check out how much it cost, I didn’t look.” Regina said suddenly, realising she had been paying too much attention to Emma’s cute smile to notice the price she had just used her credit card. 

“$50,” Henry read. “That’s cheap, oh hey,” He said, looking at it closer. “Were you flirting with the person at the till?” He asked. 

“Why?” Regina asked sharply, confused at how the dress could only be $50. She was expecting it to be at least $100. She took the receipt off Henry quickly and immediately saw why he asked if she had been flirting. In smudged black ink was a phone number and next to it was a quick doodle of a swan. Regina grinned at it. “Yes, I did.” She said, answering Henry’s question. 

She took her phone out and added Emma Swan as a contact with a heart emoji next to it. She normally hated the use of emojis, but she could cope just this once. She glanced at the receipt again before realising how the dress was so cheap. Underneath the price of the dress, which had originally been $120, was some smaller print saying that a staff discount card had been used. Emma had taken money off by using her discount card for her. Regina smiled before taking her phone out once more. She had a text to send.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Emma quickly grabbed her phone as it buzzed, hopeful that it would be the hot woman from work. To her excitement she saw it was from an unknown contact. She opened it and read it quickly.

_ Hey Emma, _

_ Thanks for the discount, you really didn’t need to. Henry still needs a suit so I was wondering if you’re working this weekend so I can bring him in to get one, because you were so helpful for getting my dress. _

_ Regina (the woman from the store earlier) X _

Emma almost squealed out loud at the kiss at the end of the text. She had never really thought that the woman, Regina, would ever text her. She was about to reply immediately but then paused. She didn’t want to look to eager. Maybe she should wait a couple of hours.

Meanwhile Regina kept checking her phone anxiously. Maybe she shouldn’t have added the kiss. Maybe she had only gone and scared her off. “At the weekend I’m getting a tattoo across my forehead, getting a hundred piercings and get drunk with my mates.” Henry told his mum, eating a forkful of lasagne.

“What?” Regina said suddenly, realising what he was saying. “Henry Mills under no circumstances are you getting a tattoo, or getting drunk until you are old enough to. And piercings, I mean if you really want to, I guess it’s your choice because they don’t have to be permanent but I’d strongly advise against it.”

“It was a joke mum,” Henry smiled. “I was seeing if you were listening or not. You seem so distracted by your phone; you’ve broken the no phones at the dinner table at least a thousand times in the last five minutes.”

“You’re right Henry,” Regina said, sliding her phone into her pocket. “I’m just nervous.”

“You texted her didn’t you?” He asked and his mum nodded. “She’d be crazy not to reply. She’s just had a shift at work though; she’s probably having a bath or something.”

“I hope so,” Regina said wistfully. “Now how do you fancy a Star Wars marathon tonight?” She asked, aware that she hadn’t been paying much attention to him since she had sent the text.

“Can we have popcorn?” Henry asked eagerly, taking advantage of his mum’s guiltiness at not paying him attention.

“Just this once,” Regina sighed.

“Yes,” Henry grinned. “Thanks mum.”

_** The next weekend ** _

“Come on Henry,” Regina called, way too happily for 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning. “We need to get your suit.”

“But it’s so early,” Henry grumbled. “I wanted to play video games this morning. Besides, I don’t need a suit; I can just wear jeans to Aunty Ze’s wedding.” Regina put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“Henry Daniel Mills, if you think you’re going to my sister’s wedding looking like a street urchin, you need to think again,” She said, her voice sounding threatening. “Now go and get your coat.”

“Fine,” Henry muttered, rolling his eyes.

“It was a suit you needed wasn’t it?” Emma asked Regina, as soon as Regina and Henry stepped into the store. Emma knew very well it was a suit that they were coming in for, but she didn’t want to sound creepy to Henry so she pretended she was just double checking.

“We don’t have to get a suit,” Henry muttered and Regina rolled her eyes.

“He really doesn’t want one,” She explained. 

“I’m sure we can find one that you can compromise on,” Emma told her and began to lead her to the child’s clothing area. Henry looked at his mum and knew immediately from her smile that this woman was. He grinned slightly.

“Is this her mum?” He asked. Regina glared at him. She didn’t want Emma knowing how she felt about her. She doubted Emma felt the same way about her, even if she had written her number on the receipt. 

“ Yes,” She hissed, glancing at Emma to make sure she couldn’t hear. Emma carried on walking, pretending not to have heard them. Inside however, she was bubbling with happiness. Regina had told her son about her. Surely she wouldn't have done that if she didn't like her?

“What about this one?” Regina asked Henry half an hour, holding up a pale blue suit. Henry looked at it and shrugged.

“It's not completely awful,” He told her and Regina smiled, happy to have finally got somewhere.

“Go and try it on then,” She told him, pointing to the changing rooms. Henry took it, grumbling and rolling his eyes as he went. When he came out of the changing rooms a few minutes later Regina's smile only grew wider. “You look adorable.” She told him. “We have to get it.”

“Do we have to?” Henry complained and Regina rolled her eyes.

“I think you look very handsome,” Emma told him from behind the rack that she was restocking.

“Really?” Henry asked brightly and Emma nodded, smiling slightly. 

“Go and get changed Henry and I'll pay,” Regina told him and Henry nodded, before going back to the changing rooms. “Thanks,” Regina said turning to Emma when Henry was out of earshot. “It would've taken me another hour to persuade him to get that suit.”

“You're welcome,” Emma smiled. “I'll go to the till ready for you.”

“You don't have to use your staff discount card for me,” Regina told her and Emma smirked.

“I know I don't,” She replied, swiping the computer with the card. “But I want to.”

“Thank you,” Regina said, smiling. Being a single mum wasn't easy and money could be tight sometimes so she had to go without certain luxuries so that Henry would be happy. “What was that all about then?” She asked Henry when they were getting back into the car.

“What was what all about?” Henry asked innocently.

“Not wanting the suit until Emma told you that you looked handsome in it,” Regina said, sounding suspicious.

“Operation Swan,” Henry replied simply and Regina had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes slightly. Henry always made operations out of everything. “She makes you happy. I saw the way you looked at her. It was the same way I look at pizza.” Regina couldn't help but laugh at this. 

“You like her then?” She asked, becoming more serious now. She didn't want to try and get serious with Emma if it made Henry upset.

“I don't know her that well,” Henry shrugged. “But she makes you happy.”

“I want you to be happy though Henry,” Regina told him, looking at him concerned.

“It makes me happy that your happy,” Henry replied smiling at his mum.

“Operation Swan is a go then,” Regina said, returning the smile as she drove out of the car park.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it, I would love to know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

_** A week later ** _

“Back again?” Emma smiled when Regina strode into the store. Zelena's wedding had been two days earlier but Regina needed an excuse to go back to the boutique store. “How can I help you this time?”

“Oh I er...” Regina trailed off, forgetting her cover story for a minute. “Shoes,” She said quickly. “I don't have a pair that goes with the dress I bought.” 

“I'm sure we can find something suitable,” Emma smiled, leading her to the shoe section. “The dress was red wasn't it?” She checked and Regina nodded. “Heeled or not?” She asked Regina.

“I don't care as long as I don't get blisters from them,”

“I totally agree. Isn't it just the worst when you buy a new pair of shoes and then they rub but you're wearing them for a formal occasion so you can't just take them off and put a pair of trainers on.” Emma smiled.

“I doubt my sister would appreciate me doing that,” Regina laughed, neglecting to say that she wouldn't be seen dead in something as vulgar as trainers. 

“No I wouldn't have thought so,” Emma agreed, taking a pair of red heeled shoes off the shelf. “How about these?” She asked, passing them to Regina who examined them for a couple of minutes,

“Not my size,” She said, disappointment in her voice. “I'm an 8.” 

“Shame,” Emma said. “I have to go.” She said suddenly. “My manager's come out and he gets annoyed if we spend too much time with one customer when they're just browsing.”

“Thanks for the help anyway,” Regina smiled, watching her walk away and pretend to be checking the labels on some dresses to make sure that they were correct.

_** 3 days later ** _

“How come you didn't pick up my call when I called you the other day?” Zelena asked Regina when she came round after she had got back from her honeymoon. 

“You called me?” Regina asked.

“Yeah, five times,” Zelena said. “You normally return my calls straight away.”

“Am I not allowed to have my own life?” Regina asked.

“She's met someone,” Henry piped up, walking into the room. Zelena grinned and sat up a bit straighter. 

“Go on then, spill all the details,” She told Regina who just rolled her eyes. “Is she cute?”

“Henry, why don't you go to your room and read some comics?” Regina suggested, annoyed that he had told Zelena. Henry groaned slightly.

“But I want to talk to Aunty Ze,” He complained. Zelena smiled and patted the seat on the sofa next to her.

“Well if Regina won't tell me the details, maybe you will,” She smirked, taking a bar of chocolate out of her bag and handing it to Henry who grinned and sat down next to her. 

“I see I'm not going to get any peace until I tell you something,” Regina sighed.

“Nope,” Regina grinned, popping the 'p'. 

“Well her name's Emma,” Regina told her. “And it's nothing. We haven't even been on a date. Henry needs to learn how to shut his trap.” She said, fake glaring at her son who laughed.

_** A few days later ** _

“What do you need now?” Emma asked Regina walking over to her. 

“I've decided Henry needs a bow tie to go with his suit instead of just a normal tie,” Regina explained, lying easily. Any excuse to keep coming back.

“When is your sister getting married?” Emma asked. “It's been ages since you bought the dress.”

“Soon,” Regina said, being deliberately vague. “I just want Henry to look his best for Zelena's wedding.”

“It sounds like you two are really close,” Emma said and Regina nodded.

“We're actually only half-sisters,” Regina told her. “I didn't even know she existed when I grew up, our mother abandoned her and she was adopted by a couple and grew up in England,” Regina explained. “She moved to America when she was older, after finding out that her adoptive parents were adoptive and she wanted to find her real mother. We first met when I was 20 and have been like best friends ever since.”

“Wish I had someone like that,” Emma said wistfully. “No one ever thought that I was worth spending time with.”

“I do,” Regina told her, locking eyes with her. “I think you're worth spending time with.” Emma smiled sadly.

“You don't have to say that because you feel sorry for me,” She told her.

“I'm not,” Regina shrugged. “I hate it when people feel sorry for me so I don't say stuff like that to other people if I just feel sorry for them.”

“Why do people feel sorry for you?” Emma asked before quickly adding. “If you want to tell me of course. I get it if you don't, I find it difficult to talk about my past.”

“When I was growing up my mother was abusive,” Regina revealed and was glad that she didn't see pity in Emma's eyes. Emma really understood her. They had both had pain in their past and understood how difficult it was to talk about. “She used to beat me and lock me in a cupboard for hours if I made a noise when she beat me.” Regina revealed. “She forbade me from going out with friends and when she found out that I was lesbian...” Regina trailed off. “I was secretly dating this girl in my year, Mal,” Emma didn't need to look at Regina to understand how she felt about her. Her voice said it all. “A day after my mum found out I was dating her, Mal's body was found in a ditch. They never found the killer, but I knew. My mum as much as admitted it to me.”

“Your mum killed her?” Emma asked, shocked. She had had it pretty rough in her childhood, but no one had killed someone she loved. Regina nodded. “Couldn't you go to the police?” She asked.

“No point” Regina told her. “She had them wrapped round her finger, like she had everyone it seemed. Looking back on it now, I think people just obeyed her out of fear.”

“Dad not in the picture?” Emma asked and Regina shook her head.

“He tried his best to protect her from me, but she was too strong,” She told her. “If he had tried to get a divorce, she would've got complete custody of me. The court pretty much always makes children go with the mother and with the police round my mum's finger, it was a given. He stayed because he could at least protect me a little bit.”

“Parents suck right?” Emma sighed and Regina nodded.

“I still see my dad sometimes now, they're not divorced but they've split up,” She told Emma. “I wouldn't have even known about Zelena if my dad hadn't told me, but he gave me her number and we met up.” 

“Does she know about your-” Emma broke off, not really wanting to say mum because she was never really a mother to Regina. “What the woman who gave birth to you did? Regina paused a moment, grateful for Emma's thoughtfulness in her choice of words. She nodded.

“I told her the first time we met,” She replied. “She didn't understand why mother didn't want to see her or know her so I told her what I went through and that she's better off not knowing her.”

“That must've been tough though,” Emma said. “Thinking you've finally found your birth mother and then for them to reject you like that.” Regina nodded. “Though what's worse, that or never knowing a thing about your birth mother other than that she abandoned you when you were a baby?”

“Both,” Regina replied. “They're both equally awful situations.” Then she paused in realisation. “You know, you're the only person I've ever told about my mum murdering Mal.”

“I'm glad you could talk to me about it,” Emma said. “I know it can be hard to trust when things happen in life.”

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

_** A week later ** _

“Still not bought everything?” Emma asked, smiling as Regina walked into the store once more and Regina laughed. The wedding had been 3 weeks earlier. It had been about a month since her and Emma first met and she still hadn't worked up the courage to ask her on a date. She kept making up excuses to come into the shop instead. 

“I keep forgetting the small things,” Regina smiled before opening her mouth to say something when someone else walked into the store and called her.

“Regina!” Regina spun around and to her annoyance, saw Zelena standing behind her, with a wicked smile on her face.

“Zelena?” Regina sounded surprised and she was giving Zelena a death glare.

“Oh is this your sister?” Emma asked, recognising her name. Zelena nodded, slightly creeped out that Emma knew this. “Looking forwards to your wedding?” Emma asked and Regina winced slightly as Zelena laughed. 

“I'm already married, dear,” She smirked at Regina. “Already planning my divorce.” Emma looked at Regina who blushed a bright red. “I just came to see the hot blonde that had captured my sister's heart.” Emma smiled slightly.

“You used those words?” She asked, her heart pounding. Did Regina really feel the same way about her as she felt to Regina?

“No, not those exact words,” Regina told her, feeling really dumb and mentally planning Zelena's murder.

“The sentiment was there though,” Zelena piped up. “I just wanted to tell you to hurry up and ask her out, because she doesn't have the guts to do it herself. Oh and if you break her heart, you've got me to answer to. Got it?” She asked, smiling sweetly at Emma who had to restrain herself from laughing.

“Yes,” She smiled as Zelena turned and left the shop.

“I'm so sorry about her,” Regina said immediately. “I should probably just lea-” But Emma interrupted her.

“I'm so glad I insisted on you using my discount card seeing as all that stuff you bought was for no reason,” Emma laughed and just before she walked off she smirked at Regina's embarrassed expression. “By the way there's a nice coffee shop across the road. I get off at three.”

“I'll be there,” Regina said quickly, smiling happily, hating Zelena even more because her plan had worked. “I'm so glad I don't throw away receipts.” She muttered as she walked out of the store.

_** A few years later ** _

“Hi guys,” Zelena smiled around the room at everyone sitting on round tables. “When Regina approached my asking to be the best man for her and Emma's wedding, I wasn't sure if I should be offended or flattered.” The room filled with laughter here. “I mean hello? Best man. But anyway, as many of you know, I'm not one to back down from a challenge,” There were a few chuckles here. “So of course I agreed to be the best woman. I knew Emma and Regina were perfect for each other right from the start. I don't know how many of you know how they met, but it was because Regina was buying a dress for my wedding,” Zelena continued.

Emma smiled at Regina as they listened to the speech. Regina knew just from the beginning of Zelena's speech that she had been the perfect choice for best woman. Neither of them had had anyone they could've asked to be the best man. The nearest person either of them had was Zelena.

“And then she met a super hot blonde chic,” Zelena continued, causing Emma to blush slightly. “Long story cut short, three weeks after my wedding, Regina was still going back to the shop to buy accessories and stuff to wear for my wedding.” The room started laughing at this and Emma smirked at Regina who looked slightly embarrassed. “That was when I stepped in and told Emma that I had had my wedding weeks ago and they finally went on a date together.” Regina took Emma's hand under the table and smiled. They had both finally got their happy endings.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, I hope you've enjoyed this story. Please let me know what you thought.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think.


End file.
